“This isn’t Democracy…” Rahul Gandhi Accuses Speaker Om Birla of not Letting Him Speak in Lok Sabha

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has launched a scathing attack on Speaker Om Birla, accusing him of preventing him from speaking on the floor of the House. Gandhi termed the Speaker's actions as undemocratic and expressed frustration over the repeated obstruction of his attempts to address the House.

"I don’t know what is going on. I requested the Speaker to let me speak, but he just ran away. This is no way to run the House," Gandhi said in a statement. "The Speaker just left and he did not let me speak. First, he said something about me. He made unsubstantiated comments, so I asked to respond, but he adjourned the House. There was no need to do that," he added. 

The Congress leader, who represents Rae Bareli in Parliament, emphasised the traditional convention where the Leader of the Opposition is given a fair opportunity to address the House, adding that this was clearly being violated in the current session.

“Whenever I stand up, I am not allowed to speak. Whenever I want to say something, the Speaker doesn’t allow me. I rose to speak, and the Speaker just left. We are not allowed to express ourselves. I was sitting quietly; I did not utter a word. I have not been allowed to speak for 7-8 days. This is a new tactic," Gandhi lamented. "Democracy has a place for both the government and the opposition, but here it seems there is no space for the Opposition," said the Rae Bareli MP. 

Gandhi also recalled a recent instance when Prime Minister Narendra Modi made remarks about the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, to which he wanted to respond, particularly raising concerns about the growing unemployment crisis. However, he claimed that the Speaker did not allow him to speak. “That day, the Prime Minister spoke about the Kumbh Mela, and I wanted to raise the issue of unemployment, but I was not allowed to. I don’t know what the Speaker’s approach is, but we are being silenced. This is undemocratic,” Gandhi added.

Speaker Om Birla had adjourned the House earlier in the day, citing disruptions in the conduct of the session. "Members of the House are expected to maintain decorum. Several instances have come to my notice where the conduct of members has not been in line with the high standards of this House. This House has seen father-daughter, mother-daughter, and husband-wife as members. In this context, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to behave in the House in accordance with Rule 349," Birla remarked before adjourning proceedings.

This comes just a week after an uproar in the House during Prime Minister Modi's address on the Maha Kumbh. The Prime Minister had praised the religious gathering in Prayagraj, calling it a showcase of India’s capabilities to the world. However, the opposition members, including those from Congress, raised objections, particularly questioning the government about the deaths that occurred during the stampede at the event. Then too, the leader of the opposition wanted to respond but wasn’t allowed. Amidst the protests, Speaker Om Birla had invoked Rule 372, which allows the Prime Minister or any minister to make statements in the House without being interrupted or questioned. "Rule 372 clearly states that the Prime Minister or any minister can make statements in the House, without taking any questions," Birla had explained at the time.